WHAT I'VE LEARNT FROM MY FIRST TERM OF UNI

As I’ve mentioned before I am a first year history student at the University of Bristol. Since my lecture series begins again tomorrow I thought this was a good chance to consider what I have learnt from my first term at uni.

1. Freshers isn’t as scary as I thought.

Starting uni with the prospect of Freshers week I was worried there would be a social pressure to participate in one long –alcohol intoxicated week of partying, which seemed overwhelming. However, I found myself embracing Freshers full on. Apart from one night off, feeling ill after my Meningitis jab, I went out not because I felt I had to but because I genuinely wanted to. Meeting new people, all in the same position, is a lot of fun!

2. Living with other people is hard. 

University is the first time I have lived away from home. It’s also the first time I’ve been surrounded by a bunch of people I’d never met. In the first few weeks of term uni was all about getting to know people and having fun. Very little consideration was given to work! However, as the weeks progressed I found whilst I thought I was beginning to understand and know someone’s character, their actions would change my perception of them. What I’ve taken from this experience is that you cannot hold other people’s behaviour to the same expectations you hold your own behavior to. It is essential to respect other people’s feelings and understand their point of view but also know when to stand up for yourself.

3. Shying away from issues is not the right answer.

4. Honesty is the best policy but it can be presented in a way which won’t insult other people.

5. Studying a degree with very little contact hours is harder than it's perceived. 

Last term my course had nine contact hours per week. This term there are only six. Do I regret choosing to study history as a degree? Spending more time on Netflix than in lectures, having a lot of spare time to fill and having to be very self motivated to teach yourself beyond the general lecture outline was a shock. What I’ve learnt? I need to busy myself more this term. This means more than just aiming to finish the entire series of Gossip Girl before the end of term [needless to say this was achieved by week 8].

6. Loneliness is a challenge. 

Despite being surrounded by people at uni, I have often felt very lonely. Moreover, I have struggled to find an answer to why I've felt like this. I’ve found myself experiencing roller coaster emotions from highs and lows within a week. This has really affected my uni experience and is something I want to talk about fully when I can articulate my feelings clearer.